Robert Pattinson Is Related to Vlad Tepes the Impaler, aka Dracula

They say most Twi-hards can’t tell the difference, in the sense of choosing to make no distinction, between Robert Pattinson the actor and the character he plays in “The Twilight Saga,” brooding vampire Edward Cullen. Should their choice ever be brought into question, they can call in their favor a very strong argument: Pattinson is actually distantly related to Vlad Tepes, also known as the Impaler, also known as Dracula, People magazine informs.

The Romanian Prince is most famous for his resistance in the face of the Ottomans, to whom he applied some of the cruelest punishments, among which, as his moniker clearly suggests, was also that of having them impaled. It is believed it was precisely this detail (of his cruelty) that captured Bram Stoker’s attention when doing research for his “Dracula” novel – and why he decided to have part of the plot set in Transylvania. Pattinson is actually related to this historical figure, it has emerged.

“Genealogists this week said they believe the Twilight star, 24, is related to the notorious 15th-century ruler Vlad IV Tzepesch [sic]... better known as Vlad the Impaler, widely considered to be the inspiration for the title character in author Bram Stoker’s classic tale of darkness, Dracula. According to the family history Web site Ancestry.com, researchers discovered that the English actor and the world’s most famous vampire are related through, of all people, the British Royal Family. In fact, insist the Ancestry experts, Princes William and Harry are Pattinson’s distant cousins, while ol’ Vlad was their distant uncle,” People writes.

This is not a publicity stunt, as hard to believe as it may be. Genealogist Anastasia Tyler says finding a connection was a huge challenge in itself – but she makes no mention of what may have prompted to start her searches in the first place. “Tracing Pattinson’s family back to Vlad was difficult research, but the pieces that unraveled created the perfect accompaniment to the Twilight Saga. Without any myth or magic, we find royalty and vampires lurking in Pattinson’s life – making his story just as supernatural as the one he’s playing on screen,” Tyler explains.

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” the third film in the franchise, based on Stephenie Meyer’s third book by the same name, opens nationwide in the US on June 30: now with added realism thanks to the Vlad the Impaler connection.